When Samsung set about designing the Galaxy S4 as the replacement for its flagship Galaxy S III, there were no doubt all manner of targets that it wanted to meet. Bigger screen, same footprint, improved durability and more will quite possibly have been written on a whiteboard somewhere in Samsung HQ. But not all were met, especially that durability one.
If you found the Samsung Unpacked launch event of the Galaxy S4 to be somewhat cheesy, what you witnessed was actually theatrical mastery compared with what the poor folks of India have been burdened with from the Korean company. Now granted, the company is feeling a bit patriotic having seen compatriot PSY's 'Gangnam Style' become the most-watched, most-liked video in the history of YouTube and indeed, t'internet, but the smartphone vendor really shouldn't have gone as far as to bring it's own, ahem, 'Samsung Style' adaptation for the Indian launch of the new flagship. But regrettably, it did.
Samsung is beginning to ship its new flagship Android smartphone to millions of users around the globe. And with that, in typical Samsung fashion, the company is offering an insight into its design process by releasing a new customary video explaining some of the decisions that went into planning for the Galaxy S4. Check it out after the jump!
Samsung has just announced the Galaxy Tab 3, a 7-inch successor to the Galaxy Tab 2, and although the new numbering suggests a reasonable level of upgrades, the device looks almost identical to its predecessor and is scarcely much more advanced when you peek at the specs. The slate, which runs on Android Jelly Bean 4.1, is perhaps more of a refresh than anything else, although in yet another move by the Korean company to blur the line between smartphone and tablet, a 3G model will emerge next month with calling capabilities.
In this fast-moving smartphone industry, it's fair to say that both Apple and vendors of Android devices move in similar ways. If one device contains a certain feature, it's almost certain that a rivaling model will look to bring something similar with the next generation, but one area in which Android and iOS handsets have always differed is the display. Apple has stuck faithfully with LCD, while the likes of Samsung have placed their faith in OLED, but according to DisplayMate, the new 1080p Super AMOLED panel of the Galaxy S4 more than holds its own against the iPhone 5's Retina LCD display.
Samsung's Galaxy S4 is currently among the most sought after devices in the smartphone industry. The latest in a long line of successful Galaxy S releases, it packs a quad / octa-core processor, 13-megapixel snapper and a hefty two gigs of RAM, among a deluge of other high-spec features. One oft-visited critique of the device and those preceding it, however, is that the cheap, polycarbonate finish is not adequate protection for such a high-end device, and although stopping short suggesting a sturdier finish to the outer shelling, Samsung Gulf Electronics president Young Soo Kim has indicated that the company's prized asset may arrive as a dust and waterproof device in the next few months.
One of the first videos to show a Galaxy S4 to have a knife taken to it shows that Samsung's new smartphone should be able to hold its own in a pocket full of pointy things!
A touch-screen phone is cool, but you know what's really cool? Controlling it with your mind! Yup, you heard that right. More details right after the jump.
The Galaxy S4 is just a week or two away depending on which carrier you associate yourself with and whereabouts you reside, and the excitement is certainly increasing as the launch dates draw ever nearer. To give prospective owners an idea of what accessories will be available from the get-go, maker Samsung has drawn up a detailed list of all the device's launch accessories and peripherals, including the Flip Cover, Spare Battery Charging System, and Smart Dock.
Over the last few months, many current and prospective smartphone users have had their eyes sharply focused on the Samsung Galaxy S4, the Korean company’s new Android smartphone. As expected, the new handset will be available on a wide range of retailers and carriers in the US, Samsung has now confirmed. In addition to major phone carriers, such as AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, the handset will also be available from a number of lesser-known networks, namely US Cellular, Cricket and C Spire; as well as a number of retailers such as Best Buy, Radio Shack, Sam’s Club, Staples, Target and Wal-Mart.
